NFL Power Rankings Week 9
By Liam McKeone
Your weekly NFL Power Rankings for Week 9 of the regular season.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-7)
The Dolphins actually came out swinging, but were felled by their own incompetence in the end-- as has been, and will continue to be, the case this season.
31. Washington Redskins (1-7)
If the Dolphins weren't busy selling off everyone with any modicum of talent on their team, we'd consider these Redskins to be one of the worst we've seen in some time.
30. Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)
The injuries have not been kind, but there's a lack of talent up and down the roster (except at receiver). The Bengals just want this year to be over.
29. Atlanta Falcons (1-7)
Not even Matt Ryan's iron man streak was safe this season for Atlanta. The end is coming for the Dan Quinn, and it will be ugly.
28. Denver Broncos (2-6)
Joe Flacco has a herniated disk and ripped into the coaching staff after a brutal loss to Indy. Brandon Allen, randomly generated Madden player, is starting this week. Everything has gone wrong.
27. Cleveland Browns (2-5)
It's hard to envision a worse showing coming off a bye than whatever Cleveland did in Foxboro this week. Something's wrong with this team and they're about to run out of time to figure it out.
26. New York Jets (1-6)
The one glimpse of hope Jets fans had against the Cowboys has been completely overcome by the atrociousness of the last two weeks.
25. New York Giants (2-6)
Hanging with the Lions isn't a huge accomplishment by any means, but Daniel Jones making big-boy throws is all you want to see this year if you're the Giants. Saquon Barkley getting back to his usual self is fun, too..
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-5)
The Bucs got robbed, but they didn't really deserve to win the game anyway. A rough showing against Ryan Tannehill is a referendum on the defense, and it ain't positive.
23. Arizona Cardinals (3-4-1)
This young team predictably fell apart heading into New Orleans to take on Drew Brees. They're fun, but there's still a long ways to go.
22. Los Angeles Chargers (3-5)
The Chargers scraped out a win on the back of the Bears' forevermore kicking woes. But it's hard to put any stock in this team, and they just fired their offensive coordinator, which isn't really the answer.
21. Tennessee Titans (4-4)
Ryan Tannehill continues to be average, which is all the Titans really need. Winning against the Bucs isn't much to write home about, but they're trending in the right direction.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-4)
Getting shredded by Miami's offense to start the game will pump the brakes on just how good this defense is, even if they came around. Pittsburgh has a good amount of talent on this roster, but Mason Rudolph remains a question mark.
19. Oakland Raiders (3-4)
A blown lead prevented the Raiders from taking their most surprising win of the year. Injuries are the biggest issue, but they also need another wideout in a big way.
18. Detroit Lions (3-3-1)
The banged-up Lions struggled too much against a porous Giants defense. Their actions at the deadline will determine how the rest of their season unfolds.
17. Carolina Panthers (4-3)
It was the worst of times for Carolina in San Francisco. They're good enough to hang with most teams, but a Cam Newton-less offense was destroyed by a relentless Niners front.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4)
Minshew Magic is back. Both sides of the ball played well, and while their ceiling feels defined, the Jags have a foundation of a good football team.
15. Chicago Bears (3-4)
Oof. The offense has been bad enough to knock the Bears down this far, and the kicking woes continue. Losing to a bad Chargers team to drop below .500 is about the worst place they could've imagined being halfway through the year.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)
The Eagles won ugly, but they still won. Locking down Josh Allen isn't the highest of accomplishments for a defense, but it is a good boost of confidence. Still a lot to work on before considering them serious contender.
13. Dallas Cowboys (4-3)
A bye week for the 'Boys after dressing down the Eagles on national television.
12. Indianapolis Colts (5-2)
What an exciting win for Indy. They played down to their competition, but Jacoby Brissett showed he has the goods to lead the team in crunch time.
11. Buffalo Bills (5-2)
When the ground game isn't producing, this offense is stagnant. A tough day for throwing the football, but an even tougher loss to take at home against a reeling Eagles squad.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)
The defense was obliterated by Aaron Rodgers, while the offense looked fine against a solid Packers defense. About what we'd expect from this team missing their star QB.
9. Houston Texans (5-3)
An exciting come-from-behind win for Deshaun Watson, but they probably shouldn't have been in that position to start. J.J Watt is a big loss, too.
8. Los Angeles Rams (5-3)
Cooper Kupp came to play and the Rams did what they were supposed to against one of the league's bottom-feeders.
7. Seattle Seahawks (6-2)
Seattle took care of business in Atlanta, but the pass defense continues to present itself as a real issue.
6. Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
A bye week for Baltimore precedes their biggest test to date as New England comes to town.
5. Minnesota Vikings (6-2)
"Kirktober" continues as the Vikings handle Washington with ease. They still have some kinks to work out offensively after only scoring 19 against an average Redskins unit.
4. New Orleans Saints (7-1)
A Drew Brees return saw the Saints take care of business at home against Arizona. He's still a bit rusty, but this team will only get more dangerous as he gets back up to speed.
3. Green Bay Packers (7-1)
Another week of brilliance from Aaron Rodgers. The defense was out-schemed by Andy Reid for much of the night, but who in this league hasn't been?
2. San Francisco 49ers (7-0)
Nick Bosa has entered the chat. An absurd day for the rookie led the Niners to a dominating defensive effort, and San Fran remains undefeated.
1. New England Patriots (8-0)
The Pats picked on another bad team this past week, but this level of defensive excellence is no fluke. Baltimore and Lamar Jackson this week will present the real test we've been waiting for.